Dichotomy

This is my father. He begrudgingly still lives in upstate New York. Here's a little song he created to express his feelings on this matter:

The the tune of "Oh where oh where has my little dog gone?"

Oh why, oh why do I still live up North?

Oh how, oh how can it be?

We were sposed to move when MJ retired,

But our house wouldn't sell if twas free

Oh why, oh why do I still live up North?

Winter's hell, I'm sure you'll agree,

But we're stuck up here, no place to go,

Because of the e-co-no-my!!

Here's a picture of me, taken the same day, out front of my house. This is the cold season. I don't have a song, but my face says enough. (Don't worry, I'm eating well...)

So the December weather is indeed the coolest that Benin has to offer. It's called the Harmattan, a word invoking images of twirling dust clouds and Beninese dressed in hats, gloves, parkas, and yes, even scarves. The West African trade winds blow south from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea, where I am. Yes, visibility is severely impaired. Yes, even your toothbrush will be covered with a thin layer of dust between uses. Yes, it does actually get cold enough that some mornings you don't want to shower. Wait, scratch that, you don't feel an overwhelming urge to take a shower to remove the sweat. You do want to shower... and you do shower. It's just not compulsory.

Here is our guard, Pedro, in the later hours of the morning. Meaning some key elements of the Harmattan getup have been discarded.

In short, I want to wish everyone a happy December. Us, we're listening to Merle Haggard and rigging up the lights just like the rest of y'all on the other side of the sea. So, on behalf of the men of Parakou, I'd like to wish the happiest of holiday seasons to you and yours.

Mali!

Had a great vacation in Mali with my fellow volunteers Brad and Sarah, as well as my friend Ali who was able to fly in from Dubai. Mali is like Benin but different. There are certain things that are plentiful in tropical Benin that you can't get in Mali, which consists of mostly desert terrain. Mali certainly has more Muslims than Benin, and there seems to be more of a developed music scene there, but I've yet to explore the back alleys of Cotonou's music scene so I guess I should wait to pass judgment. One things for sure: Mali is gorgeous. Above is a picture of my friend Brad exchanging some words with a native of the Dogon Country. When you meet an elder on the route, one must give him/her a cola nut, which is a (slightly addictive) caffeinated nut that supposedly serves as a mild hallucinogenic. I tried one, but all I got in return was a sick stomach. I suffered some intestinal difficulties for about 11 of the 12 days while we were on vacation. Can't win em all!

These are some performers in an ancient ritual dance performed in the Dogon Country. All in all, there were approximately 40 or so performers, including the musicians. A story was told, but don't ask me to pretend that I am able to recount the tale. The colors were pretty, though. Local women and children were forced to maintain a safe distance from the performers. What would happen if they were caught sneaking in too close? Some guardians would charge them with sticks while letting out a battle cry.

This is a village in the Dogon region of Mali. These villages are rustic, to say the least, and possess a lingering charm. Although there are many tourists these days, vehicles are unable to reach these havens, and the villagers have thus been able to continue practicing their simple styles of life into the modern age.

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays! I know I did. Best wishes to all, and may this new year and decade bring only good things to us all.

-Dave